{"id":103841,"date":"2020-11-03T12:13:44","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T09:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/sri-lanka-rescues-120-whales-after-mass-stranding\/"},"modified":"2020-11-03T12:13:44","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T09:13:44","slug":"sri-lanka-rescues-120-whales-after-mass-stranding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/sri-lanka-rescues-120-whales-after-mass-stranding\/","title":{"rendered":"#Sri Lanka rescues 120 whales after mass stranding"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Sri Lanka rescues 120 whales after mass stranding<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\n Sri Lankan Navy soldiers try to push a pilot whale back into the water
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sri Lanka’s navy and volunteers rescued 120 pilot whales stranded in the country’s biggest mass beaching, but at least two injured animals were found dead, officials said.<\/p>\n

Sailors from the navy and the coastguard along with local volunteers pushed back at least 120 whales by dawn Tuesday after a gruelling overnight rescue, navy spokesman Indika de Silva said.<\/p>\n

The school of short-finned pilot whales washed ashore at Panadura, 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Colombo, since Monday afternoon in the biggest-ever mass stranding of whales on the island.<\/p>\n

“We used our small inshore patrol craft to pull the whales one by one back into deeper waters,” de Silva told AFP. “Sadly, two whales have died of the injuries sustained when they beached.”<\/p>\n

Local authorities were braced for mass deaths as seen in Tasmania in September when about 470 pilot whales were stranded and only about 110 of them could be saved after days of rescue efforts.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed that Panadura saw the largest single pod of whales stranded in the South Asian country.<\/p>\n

“It is very unusual for such a large number to reach our shores,” MEPA chief Dharshani Lahandapura told AFP, adding that the cause of the stranding was not known.<\/p>\n

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    \"At
    \n At least two whales were found dead on the beach in Panadura, Sri Lanka
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    \"Sri
    \n Sri Lankan volunteers try to push back a stranded pilot whale at Panadura beach, 25 kilometres south of the capital Colombo
    \n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    “We think this is similar to the mass stranding in Tasmania in September.”<\/p>\n

    Pilot whales\u2014which can grow up to six metres (20 feet) long and weigh a tonne\u2014are highly social<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    The causes of mass strandings remain unknown despite scientists studying the phenomenon for decades.<\/p>\n\n

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    Race to save whales in Sri Lanka’s biggest mass stranding\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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    \n \u00a9 2020 AFP<\/p>\n

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    Citation<\/strong>:
    \n Sri Lanka rescues 120 whales after mass stranding (2020, November 3)
    \n retrieved 3 November 2020
    \n from https:\/\/phys.org\/    news<\/a>\/2020-11-sri-lanka-whales-mass-stranding.html<\/p>\n

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    \n part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n